- 2 DECORATIoN AND DISTRIBUTIoN oF EDIfIcES,

|none, which can only be compensated for by reading | & the examples that relate to this matter. As some authors have been particularly interested in writing about the nature of trees, their cultivation and the construction of gardens, I thought I should only speak here of the part that concerns decoration, as belonging most to architecture.

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| Most of the land that is destined for the Clean Gardens is not always level, which often means that the Terraces have to be put into use. This way of levelling a lot of land offers a great deal of pleasure by the various viewpoints which can be enjoyed, either in the background or on the eminences; but the walk becomes much more tiring than when it is on the same level, the transport of the soil and the covering of the masonry walls involve considerable expense. In order to avoid the costs involved in the construction of these walls, when it is necessary to build terraces of low elevation, the grass slopes are used, as shown in the original plan; when the height of the Terraces exceeds six feet, they are cut by a double Terrace which gives them a good level, and at the same time makes them pleasant by the variety that can be made to take their contours. | Nevertheless, when we are in a position to support the expense, I believe that the Exit Tents give a Garden an air of grandeur that puts it well above those where oeconomy has made it a lawn. It happens quite often that to diversify one places them in the remote areas of a large park, mainly at the ends of the wide paths; sometimes at the head of large green areas, or at the entrance to Amphitheaters, as well as at the steps of the same material; but it must be observed that their construction requires a great deal of care, and that no less attention should be paid to their maintenance. The first Plank offers four examples of these Grass Terraces & Stairs, which I have had successfully executed in different places, and the second Plank shows two Stone Stairs with the removal of the Terraces they are leaning against. |This one is executed four leagues from Paris in a Park that I had planted in 1727; it is a windy way out, giving to a Garden an air of grandeur that puts it well above those where oeconomy has made it ! bending of grass. It happens quite often that to diversi- | sify one places them in the secluded places of a large Park, & mainly at the ends of the large alleys; sometimes at the head of large green areas, or at the entrance to Amphitheaters, as well as at the steps of the same material; but it must be observed that their construction requires a great deal of care, and that no less attention should be paid to their maintenance. The first Plank offers four examples of these Grass Terraces & Stairs, which I have had successfully executed in different places, and the second Plank shows two Stone Stairs with the removal of the Terraces they are leaning against. |This A is executed four leagues from Paris in a Park which I had planted in 1727; it is placed at the extremity of a great alley, with which the Perron X faces, while the two degrees H go down to the counter-alleys parallel to the Terrace. The second B is in the shape of a horseshoe: its depth is taken at the expense of a wide Terrace in which it is enclosed: its Landing is oval, & it leaves the choice of descending into the Park from either side. I have practiced between these two ramps a Cascade G, which is seen from a great distance, this Staircase being placed at the end of a Canal in which this Fountain has its outlet. | These two examples are of a size distinct enough to judge their order. The Plans which are below, will make connoitre their form, & the Scale of their proportions. These Staircases were not extraordinary for the richly placed at the extremity of a large alley, which Perron X faces, while the two degrees H descend to the counter-alley parallel to the Terrace. The second B is shaped like a horseshoe: its depth is taken at the expense of a wide Terrace in which it is enclosed: its Landing is oval, & it leaves the choice of descending into the Park from either side. I have practiced between these two ramps a Cascade G, which is seen from a great distance, this Staircase being placed at the end of a Canal in which this Fountain has its outlet. | These two examples are of a size distinct enough to judge their order. The Plans which are below, will make connoitre their form, & the Scale of their proportions. These Staircases did not laugh extraordinary for the rich masonry staircases decorated with mem| bres of Architecture, as in the second Plank, & the large stone or Marble Staircases which will serve them THE DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE EDIFICATIONS. 1

A

But rarely is it more ornate, unless they are decorated with figures or vases, and the shelves of the iron Balcony Terraces or stone chandeliers, as at Marli, which are made of iron, are covered so that the view can pass through them. -As for the banisters of these Stairs, they are not often covered with Balustrades or other supports, being not very high, and having at least nine feet of step length. There is, however, an example of this in the first volume, where the terraces are decorated with railings, and the eifers of the staircases with iron railings. Various pieces of greenery for the use of Parks & Gardens. As the exercise of walking in the great Gardens, and the need to guarantee the heat of the Sun, invite you to look for the Groves, the Rooms, the Halls, the Gardens and the Gardens.

ble, & avoid small parts in their contours. The beauty of the general forms must be first aid; they must be pierced in a happy and pleasant way, and planted, when the ground allows, so that they are not too close to each other, so that some tree trunk may grow between them to give them freshness.

| ruined in a large Garden, or for the use of the May' * Part Two, Plates 17 & 2o, Chapter 3, pages 1 1 1 & 1 1 2.| As one finds in the first Volume some examples of the general distribution of the Parks and of the Jar-| dins, and as the arrangement of the various parts which compose them are expressed there, I give only here what the separate purposes of these various parts are, of which one can make a choice, either to replant nine of them which would be 5 ions of the private individuals. Dans cette dernière intention, j'ai | | rendu en général ces exemples d'une forme simple, & néanmoins capable de recevoir des ornemens d'une extré | me dépense.I will not speak of the quality of the land where the plans are to be made, attaching myself, as I have said, to the decoration alone, supposing that an experienced Gardener has been chosen. The quality of the land where the plans are to be raised is, as I have said, solely a matter of decoration, supposing that an experienced Gardener has been chosen to artistically execute the various examples which make up this part of the Gardening, and on which one can determine one's taste, whether for Star Woods, Cloisters, Quinconces, Bou-| | | | lingrins, Green Cabinets, etc. The Third Board offers two different designs of high woods with different holes: the one marked A is a double star-shaped design, in the middle of which is a Room C decorated with niches for the placement of figures. In the small Cabinets K, distributed at the crossroads where the diagonal alleys meet, there are niches to receive benches and in the recesses X, which are formed on purpose. A similar star can be seen in the garden of the Château de Clagny, which is planted with Aubepine. Figure B shows a Wood with a hole drilled in a very different way from the one shown above, having made sure in the first one that one can be seen from all the alleys, instead of the second one only forming encounters at crossroads H, the length of its alleys being limited by the bower which determines the shapes of this piece. The Cabinets D are as many solitary places that can only be seen from the large Sallon B, which is half-timbered to accommodate benches. Alleys & counter alleys surround these two large rooms. I held the first † of trees away from envy.

ron four feet of the Charmille that determines the pour- - To iijstitute another, to deplete this charm, ||

which is very disfiguring to a palisade. When the alleys are so narrow that one is not free to use them this way, I prefer to plant the trees in the thickness of the wood beyond the palisade : In fact, when there is a tree-lined avenue of trees in a space that is not very wide, the eye of the person walking in the middle of the alley can only perceive trunks that rob him of the view of the palisade, as can be seen in part of the alleys of the Jardin de Trianon, & see on the contrary in the Park of Versailles, that the trees that are in the interior of the Wood, do not prevent the pleasant effect that the palisades produce.

The fourth board represents two large cloisters that can be planted in the thickness of a wood, and which can be used to give country festivals.

The figure A on everything is suitable for this use, being decorated internally with palisades of Cenar cades bower, whose overmantels are decorated with trees of the same species cut into balls: these arcades can receive chandeliers, & on the middle of the overmantels can be applied torches & girandoles : in the middle of this large room is a carpet which is not to be used for the maintenance of the bottom, which is usually made of ploughed earth; these sorts of places become too spacious to hold the beaten paths. Aux quatre angles qui sont à pans, sont pratiqués des recfoncemens P pour y placer des benches ou des buffets en cas de fêtes.7 La figure B est environablement de la même grandeur que la première, mais ses dedans sont différens : elle est bordée d'arbres qui forment des contre-allées E, & son milieu est orné d'une piece de gazon circulaire & environnée d'u-| ne charmille de hauteur d'appui qui prend la forme générale du Cloître. On both sides are recesses F for benches, the corners being pierced in a star shape in order to be attached to the viewpoint of the Park where this piece is planted. Water is rarely placed in these kinds of Cloisters, because being far away, this expense, which rarely appears in front of the eyes, becomes superfluous. However, water features may be suitable when they serve as a drain for other basins distributed in the Park, as does Room O in the General Plan of the second part of Volume I, Plate 15. - · : .. ! - In Plate 5° we see two kinds of Quinconces; pieces which are put into use, when one wants to show the extent of the land, as in the twenty-second Plate of the first Volume. - Figure A represents one of them, which is nothing else than parallel & diagonal tree paths, which line up in all directions & make a very pleasant effect on the view. The bottom of these Quinconces is sown with grass, to avoid the maintenance of the alleys and to remove some crop from these wide rows, where only the extension of the view is needed. When these rooms are of greater interest, Rooms formed by bower hedges are used, whose contours are secured according to the distribution of the trees, so as not to interrupt the view of the paths. One can decorate these rooms with basins, to give more pleasure to these Quinconces, which by themselves do not offer anything decorated like the other kinds of groves.

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This is what happens when one wants to preserve the land, by placing them closer to one another, & that they are trees of report, or nurseries of a certain strength, that the situation of the place, or oeconomy, requires to be placed in such a way. This piece is accompanied, as is the other, by palisades of supporting height, and a Green Carpet is in the middle to diversify. The Sixth Plank offers two different examples of Boulingrins or grass recesses, which strictly speaking, are open places, in the form of a slope recessed into a level ground, to rest comfortably. These kinds of pieces are of use in Groves of various species: those marked A & B, are of scrolled grass, that a bower of height of support surrounds: one could decorate their recesses with basins instead of green carpets; these Slopes of grass are sometimes lined with trees, & sometimes with palisades; as it is seen in the General Plans of the first Volume. Plate Seven presents four Groves of different shapes, suitable to be executed in various forms in the rights of a Park. That A is of a triangular form & is suitable for irregular ground: opposite the alley by which one enters it, is placed a cradle of trellis E, encircled on its Plan & on its elevation; it ends in lantern, & is decorated with a niche. A green Carpet occupies the medium of the Grove, & one finds in the anglesAP. I. OF THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF GREENERY.

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| of the opposition that must be seen between the pieces that are discovered and those that are locked up with palisades:

|small parts, which are always from a job that the

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The one B is of a square shape, rounded by the an-| gles: it is decorated with a niche facing the alley that gives access to it: recesses F where benches are placed.

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The fourth, marked D, offers a circular room with a counter-alley of high supporting bower: the middle is left free to choose. I limit myself to the examples above, referring to the other rooms, such as the Ancient Rooms, Ballrooms, Amphitheaters, etc., to the general plans of the first Volume, where their uses have been described. Moreover, it is not finished if one wants to represent all the forms of which the Groves are susceptible. It is thus enough to say that they are one of the greatest ornaments of the Jar-| | | | dins; that they derive all their relief from their distribution, & | | | &.

this variety makes the merit of a Park & the charm of the ! | walk. In order to be well trained in this part of the Garden, the visit of the executed things is the safest study; the drawings and the engravings, however well stated they may be, always offer to the imagination only an imperfect idea of the beauties that Nature has brought back with the help of Art; for in the Gardens everything conspires for the pleasure of the eye, both the execution of a clever workman and the careful maintenance of a laborious Gardener. It should be remembered in general that in the rooms we have just been talking about, one should avoid the benches for resting.Embroidery beds are the richest, being composed of boxwood lines which form golden rinceaux of nemens which are filled with sand of various colours; they are also accompanied by beds of grass, & they are covered with flowerbeds, as well as in Plates 9, Io & I I I. These flowerbeds, holding the first row, are the most similar to the Château; but the difficulty of maintaining them well has led to their neglect in the latter part of the century in the Royal Houses: few are seen in Versailles, Marli, Trianon, Saint-Cloud, and they have been destroyed in most of the Public Gardens in Paris, to replace the English flowerbeds. | The Parterres de compartimens are made of beds of grass, & they are intended for the Jardins des Orangeries : or they are made of flower beds, which are cut into palmettes, shells, volutes, &c. These are suitable for the Florist Gardens near the Master's apartments: they are sometimes accompanied by a light embroidery, which varies with the flowerbeds, and produces a very pleasant effect: that of the twelfth board is of the latter type. I have given only these five examples of flowerbeds, which I have had successfully executed in different places; these designs, as well as those of the Groves, take most of their general shape from the situation of the ground. The General Plans* can still provide different ideas. After having said something of the parts of the garden, in whose embellishment art and nature work together, let us move on to those in which art pays for itself.

* At the Palais Royal, & in Luxembourg. * The first volume contains the distributions in general, my purpose here being to present only examples of those who have only one room, as in Plate I4, or who at most join to this room two small rooms, one to be used as an antechamber, the other as a cabinet, as well as to Plate 13. The latter is built on a Terrace, the taste of its external architecture is simple, the shape of the floor being its pleasant place. The rusticity suits these little Cham | pêtres buildings well, above all when they are accompanied only by natural greenery & without artifice. I have assigned to cover this one with a slightly high attic, in order to make the whole building male, but I have nevertheless crowned the opening with a few children's games and a sundial. | The example on Plank 14* has more decoration, being surrounded by a masonry Terrace decorated with Sphinxes and Vases, whose corners are circular, while the Pavilion is cut-sided, each of which is decorated with a figure.A dome-shaped cover completes the pavilion, on which there is an iron ball imitating the Terrace, on which a group of figures, or any other damping, such as vases, trophies of arms, etc., can be substituted. Sometimes these Bâtimens are raised on Terraces of sloping lawns, where one also forms steps of grass, opposite the openings which give entry into the Hall; as it was practiced in stone to this one. Between the Belveders which have only one piece in the shape of a Sallon, there are some which are kept entirely open, & which only serve to guarantee against an unforeseen storm: then

* This is the one the exhibition was referred to in the description of the General Plan in Part II of Volume I, pages 1 oo & 1o 1, Plank Avoidance, & that only benches are placed there. With respect to those built in the vicinity of the |

|Extend the hyver. * Sometimes they are covered with marble

| The interior decoration of the house must be regulated by it, but it is indispensible that it be

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| We discover a beautiful vantage point, we sing their plan according to the correspondence they have with what they want, and we take care to put benches in these places.

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| 14 OF ThE CoRRATION AND DISTRIBUTION oF EDIFICEs,

they are of use in the remote places of a large Park, " & this is what makes one neglect to close them to make it possible to

walks, they are usually closed by glass frames that we call crossed doors, which open from the top to the bottom: we decorate the inside with carpentry, or with fabric that we take care to unlock.

for more dignity, & we adorn their ice cream trumeaux. They often have fireplaces, to take advantage of the beautiful days that come together in the cold season. Finally, the use that we make of these kinds of places,

to give their exterior an advantageous shape.

The name Belveder is still given to discovered places which are eminent in a Park, & from which one can

of stone or grass. From the diversity of the Trellis Cradles. The expense in which the construction of Cabinets, Halls, Gantries or Trellis Cradles is thrown, not being within the reach of everyone, & those which are used in private individuals not deserving to enlarge this

for the Gardens of the Great Lords. These pieces of architecture appeared to be neglected.

* As he goes to the great Park of Meudon. * As he sees one in Choisi-Mademoiselle, overlooking the river.

CHAP. II. WINDING TREATMENT BERCEAUX. I5

They have been kept in the Clean Gardens for a few years, because it was realized that they cost a lot and do not last long; but it seems that they have been put back into use for some time now, and that they are preferred to oeconomy. Some people, instead of those of trellis, use natural cradles in imitation of Marly's: some of them are seen in various places where the taste of design seems to be more advantageous: to force the branches of the trees to bend to the shape one wants to give to these pieces of architecture, & to maintain these branches with stilts, poles & wires; but as it only takes the death of one of these trees to disfigure the whole work, they generally require a care which is only suitable for the expenditure of a Sovereign, & to maintain them in the best possible condition, & to maintain them in the best possible condition. that it is not less than several years to enjoy a sure shade, these inconveniences have put off private individuals, and have made them give preference to winch cradles, which are useful in a very short time, and whose ruin is prevented by armouring them with iron bars which strengthen their frame and support all the hangers, curves, basket handles, etc., and which are not only a good thing, but also a good thing. The stakes from which they are built must be of oak, well planed, erected and tied together with wire: sometimes chestnut wood is used, but it is not so durable and is only good for espaliers: the ornaments used in these cradles are made of linden or bushel wood, and the frames, cornices, girdles and bases are made of well wrought oak rafters. Not all members of the Architecture & Ornaments are suitable for trellis work, because of the views formed by the decoration and distribution of the documents.

par les mailles dont ces sortes d'ouvrages sont composés; car rien seroit si mal entendu que d'y voir des corniches, des entablemens, des amortissemens, &c. qui sans être évuidés, porteroient sur un travail percéré à jour qui pa roîtroit soutenir ces fardeux avec peine. It is also necessary to take care that in order to give a particular taste of Architecture, one does not fall into the meanness: in a word this kind requires a certain genius & the practice of the design: the ornamentation must be light, the contours extremely fluid, the piramidal forms, & it must reign in all their composition a pleasant symmetry.

Often these pieces are decorated with trellises, fountains with maritime figures, benches in niches, or figures on pedestals, facing some alley or side alley, and the inside of these Cabinets are decorated with ornaments related to the species of which they are composed and their destination. For there are some isolated, that is to say, some placed in the crossroads of a wood, or in the middle of a star. Others end an alley, & serve by their exterior decoration to embellish the look of a garden: then they are called recess or sideboards. Finally, there are porticoes which only protrude from the nude of the wall by four feet, and are also called niche cradles; they are decorated with tables carried by consoles, or water fountains with basins.

Plank 15 is an example of the latter: it can be used as a buffet & be placed at the end of a Terrace. The one in Plank 16 is a Lantern Cabinet * which can be insulated, because being composed of

* Which was proposed in Volume One, Chapter One, page 17, for the decoration of the ends of the large terraced driveway L, in the General Plan, Planche premiere.num.

CHAP. II. WINDING TREATMENT BERCEAUX. 17 |

four arcades it can give exit to several alleys.

It is good to make sure that these decorations are the object of several points of view: such an expense should not be hidden in a solitary place, nor in the risk of being ignored by the people who walk in a park: it is necessary to avoid placing them in places that are too ugly, both in relation to their conversation and to be able to raise some greenery that gives them om-?

such as Jasmine, Honeysuckle & others.

The love for these kinds of architectural pieces should not lead to repeating them too often in a garden, where variety is always a source of great pleasure: it is necessary to create a pleasant diversity in which the covered halls and fountains can enter, * & the fountains: the latter are more durable and have more grandeur; in any case, the trellis cradles have their merit. Sometimes they are used to form covered galleries, and they make a very good effect. To give more grace to their belts, they must be kept low, and to give shade to those who walk in them, they must be raised from the ground.

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As these Cradles require no decoration, being composed only of five to seven inch mesh stiles, & supported from distance to distance by iron mounts & crossbeams, no examples are reported here, & one has confined oneself to the two Plates 15 & I6, where one sees the decoration of a lanterning cabinet, & the other to the two Plates 15 & I7, where one sees the decoration of a lanterning cabinet.

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18 DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF EDIFICEs,

ne & a niche portico, which are the most likely pieces of ornamentation. I have shaded these two examples as Bodies of Architecture in the Round, in order to make the shape of their plan & the success of their contours in execution felt. I have also expressed, as far as the grandeur of the design would allow, the various ornaments that make up the compartments of the different parts of these pieces of architecture, such as vases, consoles, fleurons, seeds, etc. I have also expressed, as far as the grandeur of the design would allow, the various ornaments that make up the compartments of the different parts of these pieces of architecture, such as vases, consoles, fleurons, seeds, etc. The scale at the bottom will make you judge their proportions,

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If any work is carried out, it must be covered with two or three coats of green oil colour, both to protect it from accidents that cause humidity and to give it a pleasant appearance.

Fountains.

The Fountains are of all the decorations of the Jars.

| | in the ones that give them the most gaiety, they seem-|

|The shining brilliance of the light of their

water, & the sound of their gushing & their |

The wind also whispers in their whispering and their freshness invites us to come and seek shade with them, to rest. Fountains include all the waters that serve to decorate a Garden or Park, such as Ponds, Waterbeds, Waterfalls, Cascades, Caves, Water Buffets, & other pieces that take their name from their location or from the main attributes that decorate them. The first attention they require is to be paid to the

It is, however, necessary to keep them hidden from the general point of view, such as those which are composed of allegorical subjects, borrow the greater part of their beauty, the perfection of the ornamentation and the delicacy of the works which decorate them, and which consequently deserve not to be exposed to accidents which could only be caused by public competition. In order to guarantee them from the indiscretion of the multitude, they are enclosed in austere groves ; several exits are given, which must be closed by gratings.Marly, Versailles & Trianon offer all that is most magnificent and ingenious in this gen- | re, & can by the only sight much better instruct than the right to make a long detail; I therefore refer to the fine examples they are full of, and give only two different designs of Fountains, so that those who are far removed from such a learned school may have a slight idea of these decorations. I will not speak here of the water conduit nor of the way to bring them into a Park; the second Volu of the first part of the Hydraulic Architecture * can offer more useful advice on this subject than would be some very short reflections reduced to the limits that I have prescribed for myself in this Book, the matter of which moreover belongs particularly to the decoration. Plate 17° shows the design of a Fountain suitable to be placed in front of an alley, or at the bottom of a Terrace, & which must be executed in marble, or at least in stone. The group of figures which composes the bottom of the | niche, represents a Venus to her toilet, & I subjected the napes of water which accompany it, to the rocks on the * By Mr. de Belidor.2o OF THE DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE EDIFICATIONS.

the group is seated: the Architecture which encloses it being of a male taste, can be varied of colors in its various compartments, & then the figures must be engraved can be of bronze or gilded lead.

unaffected in this purpose too much novelty, finding ?

that in order to emphasize these kinds of decorations at the expense of forms, one often neglects the Architecture which must support them, over everything else in this kind of Fountains.

With regard to those who are in the taste of the example which is in Plate 18, the general form must decide there in preference to the Architecture; & the beauty of the Curve & the Profiles which compose it, are the parts to which one must then mainly attach oneself. It is on this occasion that one must not neglect to use a skilled Sculptor to determine the outline of the figures, bowls, consoles, & everything that must form the order of these Fountains, which are most often placed in the middle of a star, so that they can be seen.

of various places, or of some niche of greenery in

facing a main alley. The diversity of the examples contained in this Volume prevents me from extending myself to this part of the decoration, which alone would require a great number of them; but I reserve the right to give some to the Public, if it is received with some success. The Vases are one of the beauties that one seeks in

the Gardens, & they produce a pleasant variety with Figures, Ifs, Trellis Cradles, Terms, and Signers; what requires more care & skill is to give them a graceful form & to successfully diversify the parts that make them up. The place where they will be placed must determine their proportions, & it is by them that one must measure the strength that suits them, & choose their material. They are made of bronze, marble, cast iron, lead, stone, &c. The marble ones have the highest rank in favour of their work, and since they are the most valued, they are placed in places where they can be best seen from the apartments.

At the Royal Houses, they're employed in the big cities...

alleys, at Les Parterres & aux Bosquets: we see a large one

many of this species & perfectly beautiful ones in the Gardens of Versailles, Trianon, Marly & others. I've given the 19 & 2o plates two examples that I've found to be of great interest to you.

| The lead ones are usually intended for fountains and pool edges, because they can be given the colour that is given to rock gardens, buffets, groups of children, etc., which are adorned with gardens. These vases are sometimes placed on pedestals or dezes, which are raised and decorated according to the proportion and richness of the Vase; but in general this elevation is

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The Vases are placed on stone tablets at the edge of some Fountains, as can be seen in Neptune's piece in SOME of them, and some of them are pushing the housekeeping to the point of having these Vases executed in stone for the decoration of the Gardens ; but they become deformed, unless a colour in oil is passed over them, to prevent the weather of the seasons from blackening and defacing them. These Stone Vases are only suitable when they are used to crown Buildings made of their own material, then one must pay attention to the general shape of these Vases, because being beyond the reach of the eye, the detail cannot make their beauty, as it does for those who decorate the Gardens, where the grain of the stone does not allow one to enunciate all the small parts that make up their ornamentation.Following the two examples mentioned above, one will find in Plate 2 I° four designs of these Vases intended to decorate the Buildings; & one will be able to make a choice for the outside, either to crown the pedestals of the gates in the Parks & &. Gardens, according to Figure A; or to decorate the balustrades of a one-storey Building, like the Fi-| gure B, in the taste of those of Trianon; or finally for the decoration of a multi-storey Building, in the taste of Figures C, D. Bronze Vases are made, and the tablets of the Terraces are decorated with them; as can be seen in the Orangery Garden of Versailles; Plate 22° gives four examples. They are also made of porphyry, agate, alabaster, &c. but then they must be reserved for the inside of the ap-| partemens, being too fragile to be part of the exterior decorations. | | Sometimes oeconomy makes them out of cast iron, includingCHAP. II. FIGURES, SPHINx AND TERMS. 23

the private individuals decorate their Gardens, after having passed some oil colors. On voit enfin de fayance; mais ainsi que ceux de fonte, ils ne sont bons que pour des petitsJardins qui de-|| mandent peu de dépense, & où ils font néanmoins un |||.

pleasant effect. 
        Figures, Sphinxes, & Terms. 

These ornaments require diversity in the way they are distributed in Parks & Gardens: Their structure is sometimes bronze, metal, or marble, sometimes stone, as well as that of the Vases we're talking about;* but as this part of the decoration of the Gardens belongs more to Sculpture than to Architecture, the main care must be left to the Sculptor, who is in charge of making the models of these works, and of executing them after the Architect has assigned their places according to the correspondence that they must have with the whole. | The examples of these kinds of embellishments put into execution, are much above speculation; thus, to form a perfect knowledge of them, it is necessary to visit the places where they are seen in all kinds. Versailles, Trianon, Marly, which I cannot tire of quoting, offer with profusion the most excellent pieces & the most worthy of being imitated; the Château des Thuilleries has some very esteemed ones, as well as Vases which are of an admirable Profile. Most of these Figures are engraved in different Collections, which can be used to refresh the meticulousness of the work.

* This oeconomy is used only for private homes, or for public gardens of little consequence.

24 DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF EDIFICEs 2

of those who have seen them, & to give a no-| tion to those who are deprived of the pleasure of seeing them by the distance of the place. To give an idea of these decorations in general, I offer only one example of Sphinxes and Ter-mes, of which I have chosen from the Royal Houses; they can be found in Plates 23 & 24. I have placed the Ter-mes on a bower background, to make one feel the relief they receive from the palisades against which they are usually leaned. I have not given examples of statues, their kind being infinite, their allegory depending on the use for which they are intended, as well as their structure depending to a greater or lesser extent on the magnificence of the other ornaments with which they are in etion. | These figures are usually placed on pedestals, to which elevation is given according to the subject they represent or the place they occupy; for those used to decorate fountains, or to crown some kind of damping, are usually placed only on key figures.A l'égard de celles qui ornent les allées des Jardins, | les Parcs, les Parterres & autres semblables lieux, on doit observer que lorsqu'elles sont en pied, elles doivent être sur un piédestal dont le sommet soit à la hauteur de l'oeil; & que lorsque elles sont couché, on doit les placer sur des piédés moins élevés. The statues are distinguished according to their attitude, or their character : those that are on foot are called Pedestrian Figures, and those that are on horseback are called Equestrian Figures : paying attention to their allegory, they are called Symbolic, Fabulous, Hydraulic, HistoriCHAP. III. DE LA DEcoRAT. OUTDOOR IN GENERAL. 25 |

ques, Greeks, Romans, &c. The Terms, although half-body, must also be distinguished by their attributes; & this rule must apply generally to all ornaments which serve to compose a whole, as are the examples we have just seen.

The merit of these different pieces of sculpture lies in the beauty of their execution, the material can only contribute to it faithfully: one must examine them with care, and fill one's memory by frequenting the public museums and the Royal Houses, where they are said to be perfected with choice, and where the sight of these beautiful things strikes one better than all the lessons that speculation can provide. Moreover, as I have said, this part belongs to the Sculpture, and I have only mentioned it here in order to assign it its place, so I will move on to those parts of the exterior decoration which are more concerned with the Building, and which are the subject of this first part.

C H A P T E R A N D R O IS I E 'M. Where it speaks of the Profiles of the Orders of Architecture, fai

sant partie de la décoration du principal corps de Bâ-| timent qui compose la première partie du premier Volume: avec quelques reflexions sur la décoration extérieure en général.

Exterior decoration in general.

OMME we talked about the General Ordinance of the Buildings in Volume One, & that we

have put something back in this one to say about the parts ?

I'll try to get the right idea of what they're made of, I'll try to get the right idea.

| T. II. Go. I. D26 OF THE DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BUILDINGS,

of the application that one must make of it in the composition of the whole, & my main object will be to make understand by various comparisons the preference that must be given to certain parts rather than to others.

Since the exterior decoration must have an intimate relationship with the interior, it is important to give them a

|...so perfectly intelligent, that the spectator cannot receive...

keep one more interesting than the other. It is this accomplished union that shows the excellence of an Architect, on everything when he has the art of making ensorte

| The exterior decoration announces the distribution of the building; however, one should not in this respect be so careful as to mark by particular allegories the use of the interior of each part of the building; this use produces a misunderstood glance, of which we have some examples in our new buildings, where the architect is jealous of marking in the exterior the desti| nation of the insides spread in its exterior faces as many different attributes as there are pavilions.

| A good Architect must have a more general view, and it is to the whole spectacle of his building that he must be most attentive; otherwise he would find himself in the case of the famous de Brush, who, though full of a renowned experience, fell in building the Luxembourg, in the failure to spread indifferently in his exterior decorations on the Garden side, the sacred allegories and prophets. Indeed, in the Middle Pavilion, on the first floor of which the Chapel is placed, one sees on the dome figures dedicated to the true Religion, while in the trigliphs of the entablature which bears the same dome, are represented the heads of Beliers and the utensils used by the Sacrificers to offer their "gifts".

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that on the Pavilions of the Elders are placed fabulous figures that have no bearing with the character that a building of this kind must have. | When a palace is erected, it seems to me that the facade should be adorned with attributes that express the dignity of the Lord for whom it is built: the ancients gave us the example, and it was very often through some of these ornaments that we were able to recognize the property of the monumens of which we have left some vestige. One should not infer from this that it is necessary to spread a great number of them: on the contrary, one must avoid the profusion of them, and on the contrary, one must not confuse ornamentation which has no connection between them. It is a matter of choosing those which should dominate and to use them with caution: even in the Houses of the Greats, rest always suits them well, and the connoisseurs always give preference to them over this indiscreet wealth, which by the multiplicity of its parts makes it impossible to admire the general forms, and usually only serves to corrupt the most majestic aspects of Architecture. This wisdom, so highly recommended by the ancients, the monumens that have left us the most ha-| biles of our modernity, must be the object of our study and imitation: it is only by engraving them in our memory that we can be sure of the vices that have crept into our way of decorating, mainly in the interior decoration, about which we speak in its place. So that what I have just said may become more sensitive through comparison, I will move on to the examples of the parts that make up the exterior decoration, which I have held28 OF THE DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF EDIFICE,

of a magnitude to be able to judge the proportions, after I have said something * of the Profiles of the Orders which | enter into the decoration of the main body of the Building contained in the first Part of the first Volume. | As these Profiles belong entirely to the Archi tecture, and it is she who assigns the place of the ornaments, I thought I should begin with what concerns them and with some reflections on these same Orders, but I must remind you that I give them not so much to deal with them as to bring together in these two Volumes a general idea of what concerns the decoration of a building.

Of the Doric Order that reigns on the ground floor of the main body of the building that makes up the first Part of the first Volume.

Plate 26° gives the proportion of the Dori Order

| Garden & sides. It contains two feet of diameter at the bottom and eight diameters in height, not including the base and capital, each of which is half a diameter. Its entablature is a little less than a quarter of a millimetre in diameter.

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| | that reigns on the ground floor of the first of the five buildings described in this book, | | j & that is used on both the entrance and the exit side | |

the height of the column; this Order not being elevated on |

| | Building. Vignole gives a quarter to the entablature.

| I think so, when he is raised on his pedestal.

- first Volume, rages 49 & 5o.

* As I promised in Chapter Three of Part One of the First Part of the * I have put no ribs on this Order. Most of the Authors are divided on this subject: those who are most generally approved, such as Scamozzi, Palladio & Vignole, have admitted them, while Phi-| libert de Lorme, J. Bullant & Viola have removed them. I think I must agree with the latter, finding that the flutes are more suitable for those of the other Orders which receive more ornamentation in their order, and that they do not agree much with the simplicity of it, on everything when it is used only in particular buildings. However, they can be used when the Order is used in public buildings, and although there are several very famous ancient monumens where it is without fluting, such as in Rome at Marcellus' Theatre, I think it is right to use them when one wants to give them lightness; which is much better than making them too maté- | riels, & to put in bosses such as those that are used in the Palais du Luxembourg. I shall not speak here of the members who make up each of the parts of the Orders, nor of their proportions; the scale I have put at the bottom of each example, serving to make them known; moreover, the main parts are listed there.I have used the name foot & thumb, as Abraham Bosse did, in order to be better understood by people who, having only a superficial attachment to Architecture, were not familiar with the terms module & parts. In addition, my object in the execution of the Orders, whose Profiles I give here, was rather to show what correspondence they must have with the whole of the Building, and what must be the assembly of the Doric with the Ionic which !E DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE EDIFICATIONS.

is maintained, than to detail all the particularities which

determine more or less the beauty of these Orders, so I move on to the Ionic Order which is part of the decoration on the first floor of the same building.

Of the Ionic Order.

I have given this Order the height of nine diameters that

are only twenty-one inches long, so that it is of a propor- ?

It is more loose than the Doric, whose diameter is two feet, and who must also have more strength to carry it. Its entablature is a little more than a quarter of the size, because, becoming more distant from the eye by its elevation, it loses its strength: this attention, as well as that which must be paid to the difference between the solid and the delicate, is very important, & the strength of the members of the Architec ture, as well as of the Sculpture, must always be measured # on their situation, on their height & on the distance # in which they will be seen. I have applied to this Order the modern Ionic capital, which does much better than the ancient one, on all things with isolated columns, where its symmetrical beauty can be seen from all sides, and prevails over the other, whose sides are dissimilar to each other. Scamozzi was the first to put into use the way of giving the Ionic Capital four similar faces, which has since been almost generally approved by our Architects, who do not use others in their buildings. I have also imitated this Author by removing the dentils from the cornice, & leaving only the second drip, which seems to me to be well done, in spite of the opinion that the Ionic capital is a good example of the Ionic capital.

the Palladio he's taken away entirely. Several Authors, such asCHAP. III. OF THE LONG ORDER. 3 I

of Scamozzi, who was content to adorn his cornice with modillions which are suitable for it, all the more so as it requires some wealth, on everything being carried by a Gold

that L. B. Alberti did it in this Order, & that he saw it in some ancient monumens of Rome.

The base of the column of this Order is similar to the Attic base, except for the small cord that I have added, which reigns on the first torus, which also makes it similar to the Attic base.

those of Palladio & Scamozzi.

The whole Order is raised on a two-foot high base, serving as a retreat for the entire first floor of the building, which is crowned by the entablature of the same Order which reigns around the building& which is decorated with

In general, I have kept the two Orders I have just spoken of # a fairly simple Profile, & that I wanted the ground & all the richness of the textual decoration in the beauty of the Profiles, the proportion of the Archi-|| tecture members who compose them, & the variety of the contours that | determine them. Few people reach this ex cellence: The Art of profiling is one of the most difficult aspects of Architecture, and it is the one most neglected, because of the ease with which it is possible to draw from the Edifices already made; but this ease is usually used only to produce a deformed assembly, because, as I have already said, the imitators do not penetrate into the real motives which led the Authors to give their Profiles such and such a proportion.

Of the Attic Order.

The Attic Order is commonly understood to be a certain shortened Order, composed of various parts of other Orders: the same name is given to any piece of Archi | tecture, when it is found in a smaller proportion.

ue that of the general ordinance of a building. This way of decorating comes to us from the Athenians, & many of our Moderns use it in their Buildings, to heighten & crown them, as it was practiced at the Palace of Versailles on the side of the Gardens. We see an example of this in the forebodies of the first Building of the first

Volume, & one finds in it at Plate 28", the proportion of the Order employed there. It should be noted that when a building is crowned with an Attic floor, one must not see the roof above it, because it seems to overwhelm this small floor. A false Attic is an irregular entablature & higher than the ordinary proportion. When decorating pilasters on a

* In the first Volume, Part Three, Chapter 3, pag. 1 32.floor Attic, sometimes a base is given to this Or-ji dre, & sometimes it is raised only on a pedestal which separates the shaft by a net: I gave mine the base that | Vignole gave to his Doric Order, having had it served |

to the Doric Order the one Vitruvius calls Attica. The capital of the Attic Order is often decorated with Corinthian leaves, to which can be added Vo|lutes & Caulicoles. Simbolic capitals are also composed of simbolic capitals which designate the subjects of the Fronton and are in harmony with each other.

with the allegories spread across the facade of the building. La Corniche que j'ai donnéeà cet Ordre, est d'un Pro fil assez singulier, elle forme un plafond qui couronne

 old ones being too dissimilar. They even put it into use only in the Arcs of Triumph, with the intention of a-?

the top floor, loses its sound, and the top floor has been

the diftance in fact shows the parts too equal to the vision, on everything when one is obliged to degrade; instead of this Corniche, one of which is the same as the other, the

Profile makes the height, has more male parts & that becomes

more sensitive. We can only give definite rules for the height of the

of this Order, the remaining examples of the34 DECORATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF EDIFICEs y

However, with regard to the Attics employed on the top floor of the Bâtimens, our Moderns held it in a higher proportion, as can be seen in the Louvre in Paris, whose Attic is held half the height of the Composite Order which is below. This difference of opinion generally makes the proportion of this Order rather arbitrary; the distance from which it is seen, & the strength or elegance of the floor which receives it are usually what determines it: the proportion of the one I give is four times its width in height, not including its capital & its base, the measurements of which can be seen on Plate 28°. That of the façade on the side of the Terraces* is five diameters high, because, in my opinion, when an Attic crowns a ground floor and takes the place of a first floor, it must have more elevation than when the building is composed of several floors.... , , - - The following Plank offers the Profile of the Balustrade which reigns over the Ionic Order, & gives a dugalbe idea of the balusters which fill the bays. This balustrade, which takes the place of Attica, is used to hide the roofing of the roof, & must be more or less high, depending on the extent of the building & the lightness of the Order on which it is placed; for nothing shocks the eye more than a heavy Balustrade sitting on a Slender Order, & this would be a sin against what Nature shows in her productions. This observation, however, should not be taken at face value, when a building which has only one storey receives this Balustrade; because then, whatever the Order which decorates it may be35 , it is good to give this Ba | lustrade enough height so that it can serve as an Attic and give it more majesty....

On the same Board is expressed the Profile of the supports of the cross-beams that reign on the first floor in the main body of the same building we have just mentioned: we will also find the profile of the cross-beams of the ground floor and the first floor; the previous Boards contain the profile of the transoms and the archivolts: I am using these examples to give only a general idea of the parts of this first Building, not having had the intention of entering, with regard to the Orders of Architecture, in a more detailed detail, which makes me feel the need to speak of the five Orders: the reasons which I have had for avoiding them can be recalled by the Reader: * The reasons I had for not doing so can be recalled by the Reader: besides the fact that I warned him that I had taken an unnecessary care in extending myself on a subject already treated by more than one Author; I had to apply myself to it all the more so as the Academy of Architecture is working to bring this part to light incessantly, with as much science as clarity.I will now move on to the other exterior parts of the building which belong to sculpture: this second volume being entirely devoted to decoration, where it speaks of the proportion of the pediments, the decoration which is proper to them, & the Armortissemens which

can take the place of Frontons.